Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen,
The Rio+20 process presents opportunities to promote sustainable and equitable
growth while addressing the full scope of the institutional arrangements of
multilateral cooperation and development assistance in function of countries own
development objectives. In the light of crises facing our current development
model, UNDP welcomes these opportunities. The combined impact of what has
been undertaken so far by countries, with or without external support, does not yet
add up to the changes in production and consumption patterns needed to address
inequities and inequalities on a scale equal to the challenges.
Concerning the Rio+20 theme green economy in the context of sustainable
development and poverty eradication, UNDP has since long been supporting
partner countries in developing and applying ?green? economy policy instruments,
particularly as an implementing agency of the GEF, although we did not use to call
it green economy. As we move along our deliberations to prepare for a conference
outcome in this area, UNDP would, however like to point to the need for further
exploring the qualifying part of the theme, e.g. the part that positions the green
economy in the context of ?sustainable development and poverty eradication?.
Earlier this week, at the LDC Conference in Istanbul, the UNDP Administrator,
Ms. Helen Clark, referred to an International Assessment produced by UNDP of
what it will take to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Among the many
key factors identified was the importance of promoting economic growth which is
inclusive and has its proceeds widely shared. After a period of prolonged slow
growth, LDCs accelerated their economic growth to about seven percent per
annum on average over the period 2000 ? 2007.
In many of the LDCs, however, that positive economic performance was not
reflected in commensurate drops in poverty or in the development of substantial
productive capacities.
In this regard, the challenges facing a green economy or green growth are identical
with the challenges facing conventional growth. Inclusiveness is a deliberate
choice. It is about bringing the poor and marginalized into the picture, and
empowering all to reach their economic, social, and political potential. It is about
targeting the sectors, activities, and regions where poor people live and work. It?s
about investments in health, education, and physical infrastructure that can enable
more people to participate in and benefit from growth, and social protection can be
helpful in ensuring that citizens enjoy a minimum level of well-being.
By ensuring this in the context of a green economy, the world would indeed be on
its way to sustainable development.
Regarding the theme on the institutional framework for sustainable development,
UNDP would like to encourage that Rio+20 should lead to a strengthening of the
governance of all three pillars of sustainable development as well as to ensuring
the broader integration of the economic, social and environmental agendas.
Governance of the economic and social pillars of sustainable development is, in
fact, just as fragmented as environmental governance, and while governance
discussions in the context of sustainable development have traditionally been
focused on strengthening governance in the field of environment, which is, of
course, important, we may thereby have been overlooking the fact that the
decisions that impact the environment as well as social structures the most are
economic development decisions.
Last but not least, Rio+20 presents an opportunity for strengthening the Delivering
as One approach at all levels of the international system and for turning
development around and make it country driven. The needs and aspirations of
countries should be the driving factor in the transitioning to sustainable
development, supported by a multilateral system that Delivers as One and provides
coherent, sequenced, and integrated services to countries to help them make the
transition to pro-poor, pro-growth low-emission and climate resilient production
and consumption patterns.
UNDP looks forward to continuing to work with governments and other
stakeholders in making this a reality.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman
